Br. M. K. Shivakumar
"If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." - Daniel 3:17-18
When Faith Is Put to the Test
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where standing firm in your faith seemed impossible? Perhaps you've experienced moments when the pressure to compromise felt overwhelming, or when following God's way seemed to come at too high a cost. In today's world, we often say we believe in Jesus Christ, but when troubles and challenges arise, our faith sometimes wavers.
As I shared this Sunday, "We walk by faith, not by sight." Yet how often do we rely on our own strength rather than trusting in God when difficulties come our way? The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego offers us a powerful example of unwavering, undoubtful faith, even in the face of imminent danger.
The Historical Context
In 586 BC, the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and Judah. During my message, I spoke about three different kings of that era. Unlike the Assyrian kings who were known for skinning people alive or the Persian kings known for persecution, the Babylonian empire specialized in something perhaps more insidious—brainwashing people and assimilating them into Babylonian culture.
Nebuchadnezzar selected promising individuals from the Jewish royal family and upper class—those who were well-educated, knowledgeable, good-looking, and capable of serving in his kingdom. Among these were three Hebrew men: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
The first step in their cultural assimilation was changing their names to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—names that honored Babylonian gods. "Shadrach" means "command of the moon god," "Meshach" means "who is what the moon god is," and "Abednego" means "servant of the god Nebo."
The Ultimate Test
In Daniel 3, we read that King Nebuchadnezzar built an enormous golden statue—90 feet tall and 9 feet wide, equivalent to an eight-story building. He commanded everyone to bow down and worship this statue when they heard the sound of musical instruments. The penalty for disobedience was severe: being cast into a burning fiery furnace.
Imagine the scene: 4,600 Jews mixed among the Babylonians, all bowing before this golden idol. But three men remained standing—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to compromise their faith.
When brought before the furious king, they were given one more chance to bow down. Nebuchadnezzar challenged them with the question: "And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"
Their response reveals the essence of unwavering faith: "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
Standing Apart from the World
These three men stood apart from the crowd. As I mentioned in my message, "Standing apart is not fun. You will face persecution." Indeed, Jesus Himself said in John 8:23, "I am from above; you are from below... I am not of this world."
As Christians, we are called to be in the world but not of the world. This means we don't share the values, beliefs, and conduct of the unbelieving world. Instead, we follow Jesus Christ and reflect Him in our words and actions.
True faith affects our behavior. If we say we believe in Jesus Christ but do whatever we want, is that real faith? The three Hebrew men demonstrated that real faith is uncompromising.
This doesn't mean we hate those who don't share our faith. We can mingle with them, love them, help them when needed, and share the love of Jesus Christ when the opportunity arises. But when it comes to matters of faith and worship, we cannot compromise.
Personal Examples of Uncompromising Faith
Let me share two examples of standing firm in faith that I discussed during Sunday's message. The first is from my own life. Before accepting Christ in 2017, I struggled with alcoholism. My whole family, for generations, had been Hindu. I used to drink almost every day, partly because of social pressure from friends at my government job.
In 2021, when I visited Chennai, India, my friends invited me out and took me to a restaurant with a bar. They ordered liquor, but I ordered juice. When they pressured me to drink, I refused. This led to them asking how I had changed, and I had the opportunity to share how accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior had transformed my life.
I told them about hearing the Gospel for just 15-20 minutes during a New Year's Eve service in 2016, and how I was struck by the question: "Why would a God die for mankind?" The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His suffering, the nails piercing His hands and feet, and the shedding of His blood for our sins moved me deeply.
I also explained baptism to them—how going under the water symbolizes burying our old selves and sins, and coming out represents becoming a new creation in Christ. One friend mentioned that his wife had converted to Christianity and was asking him to attend church, but he had been refusing. Months later, when I called to check on him, he told me he had started going to church occasionally. Glory to God!
The second example comes from Daniel 1, where Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the king's food and drink his wine, which had likely been sacrificed to idols. They requested vegetables and water instead, promising they would perform their duties even better than those who ate the king's food. This demonstrated their commitment to remain faithful to God even in seemingly small matters.
The Fiery Furnace
Enraged by their defiance, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded his strongest soldiers to throw the three men, bound in their flammable clothes, into the fire. The flames were so intense that the soldiers who threw them in were instantly burned to death.
But what happened next was miraculous. Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and was astonished: "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?... Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
When called to come out of the furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged completely unharmed. Not a hair on their heads was singed, their clothes were not damaged, and—perhaps most remarkably—they didn't even smell like smoke.
Why Does God Allow Trials?
I asked some thought-provoking questions during my message: Why did God allow the furnace to be heated seven times hotter? Why does God use the rage of men to show His power?
Then I posed these questions: "How would you ever know God could heal your body if you never got sick? How would you ever know God could give you peace if you never went through trouble?"
Trials are not meant to destroy us but to strengthen us and our faith. Sometimes, God Himself allows trials in our lives, as He did with Job when Satan asked permission to test his faith. Job passed the test and received double blessings as a reward.
When we stand firm in faith, God stands with us. He may deliver us from the fire, or He may walk with us through the fire—but He never leaves us alone.
Our Faith Will Be Tested
Our faith is often tested when we place material things before God—whether it's family, career, finances, or anything else. Abraham's faith was tested because he gave great importance to his son Isaac. Whatever we value most is often where our faith will be challenged.
These tests aren't punishments; they're opportunities for our faith to grow stronger. When we remain faithful through trials, we can look forward to the ultimate reward: eternity with Christ. As Christians, our greatest hope is that Jesus will return, and we will be together with Him in heaven.
Dear brothers and sisters, we pray for so many things—healing, promotions, marriages, visas, financial stability—and if we receive them, we rejoice in God's grace and mercy. But what if we don't receive what we've prayed for? Can we still say, "Lord, we will be faithful to You; we will not turn away our hearts from You"?
A Challenge for Today
As we reflect on the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, let's examine ourselves. Are we standing firm in our faith, or are we compromising for the sake of worldly comforts and acceptance? Do we bow down to the "golden statues" of our time—success, popularity, comfort, or wealth?
Remember, we may have faith, but are we putting it into practice when challenges arise? I shared a story during my message about a camping trip where a campfire got out of control. When I later found a fire extinguisher in my friend's truck, he admitted he had forgotten it was there because he hadn't used it in a long time. Our faith can be like that unused fire extinguisher—we have it, but we forget to use it when we need it most.
Let us pray for the courage to stand firm in our faith, even when it means standing apart from the crowd. Let us declare with conviction, like the three Hebrew men, that we will serve God whether He delivers us from our trials or not. Our faithfulness is not conditional on comfortable circumstances but is rooted in who God is—the true and living God, the creator of galaxies, and the author of our salvation.
May God strengthen us to stand firm in faith until we finish the race, so that we too may receive the reward that awaits all who remain faithful to the end.
"When we stand firm in faith, God stands with us. He may deliver us from the fire, or He may walk with us through the fire."